This invention relates to a color-coded medical dosing container designed to simplify, expedite and increase the accuracy of medication dosing for patients. The particular embodiments disclosed herein are of a syringe that utilizes interchangeable dosing inserts which are removably positioned within a plunger. Each dosing insert features a series of color-coded dosing zones based on a universal dosing value of the patient, such as weight or length. The universal dosing value is used to assign a dosing zone, or xe2x80x9ccolorxe2x80x9d, to the patient. Once the proper dosing xe2x80x9ccolorxe2x80x9d has been assigned, the color is used to determine correct doses of medication for the patient. The assigned color remains the same for all medication dosing as long as the weight or length of the patient remains within the range of lengths or weights that fall within the dosing zone to which the assigned color applies.
Although the syringe of the present invention has application in any clinical, public or home health setting where providing accurate doses of medication is required, the invention is specifically intended for use in providing care to pediatric patients. As used herein, medication may include, but is not limited to, any prescription or non-prescription fluid for treating a medical condition or for providing nutrition or hydration to a patient or other individual.
Color-coded dosing zones are utilized as part of a universal medication dosing system, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,713,888 and 6,132,416. However, those patents fail to address problems associated with using a syringe to measure and administer medications. Prior methods of using a syringe to administer doses of medication involve using a plunger to draw the medication into the barrel of the syringe while simultaneously attempting to determine the volume of medication in the barrel by reading a dosing scale which is printed on the outside of the barrel. A measurement of the volume of fluid in the barrel can only be made by viewing gradations on the outside of the barrel.
The risk of error associated with prior art syringes is further exacerbated by the likelihood that the dosage amount was either determined by making an educated guess or quickly performing a multi-step mathematical calculation in an attempt to convert a given concentration of the medication in question to arrive at a dose appropriate for the patient. Even under the best of circumstances, inadvertent mistakes are sometimes made when calculating doses of medicinexe2x80x94especially when a pediatric patient is involved. While such risks are present when determining doses for adults, they are more critical in determining doses for pediatric patients. Unfortunately, providing a dosing method that eliminates the need for such calculations does not adequately address the disadvantages associated with using a prior art syringe to deliver a dose of medication to a patient. Regardless of whether the dose is determined using a color-coded or other simplified dosing scale, the position of the scale on the outside of the barrel of the syringe limits the number of medications for which the syringe may be used to those medications sharing a common concentration. This decreases the cost-effectiveness of the syringe by reducing the ways in which the syringe may be utilized to deliver medication to the patient.
The present invention addresses the problems associated with prior art methods of determining and administering medically correct doses of fluid or drugs to a patient by providing a syringe having a plunger within which a removable color-coded insert is positioned. The insert includes a series of color-coded or similarly designated dosing zones along its length. The position of each zone relative to the stopper on the plunger is inversely correlated to the volume of fluid retained within the interior of the barrel. Therefore, dosing zones appearing on the insert near the proximal end of the plunger adjacent the handle are used to measure smaller volumes of fluid within the barrel of the syringe and correspond to smaller doses of fluid. In contrast, zones appearing on the insert near the distal end of the plunger close to the stopper are used to measure larger volumes of fluid and correspond to larger doses.
Positioning the zones on the insert and orienting the insert inside the plunger of the syringe of the present invention eliminates the need to remove the syringe from the dosing container to read the volume of fluid present in the barrel or on the plunger. Rather than bringing the syringe to eye level, the dose amount is determined by aligning the dosing zone assigned to the patient with a flange or other reference mark located on the barrel. Provided that the healthcare provider correctly assigns and recalls the xe2x80x9ccolorxe2x80x9d of the patient, and then positions the plunger so that the dosing zone corresponding to that color is aligned with the reference line or flange on the barrel, the proper dose will be drawn into the barrel. Given the tremendous number of circumstances in which syringes are used to measure the correct dose of a medication and then accurately administer that dose to pediatric patients or other children, the present invention provides an effective way of enhancing the accuracy, reliability, cost-effectiveness and speed with which medical care may be provided.
Therefore, it is an object of the invention to provide a dosing syringe that reduces the amount of time required to determine and administer a dose of medication to a patient while simultaneously decreasing the risk that such dose will be miscalculated or otherwise erroneously administered.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a dosing syringe that offers a cost-effective and expeditious method of administering doses of medication or other fluids to a patient.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a dosing syringe that correlates preselected physiological values indicative of a range of medically-correct dosages with a predetermined range of colors or other indicia.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a dosing syringe that eliminates the need to perform a multi-step mathematical calculation to arrive at a correct dose of medication for a pediatric patient.
It is another object of the invention to provide a dosing syringe having a color-coded dosing scale carried by the plunger instead of the barrel, which permits the quantity of medication being drawn into the syringe to be accurately measured and read without requiring that the tip of the syringe be removed from the container from which the medication is being withdrawn, and without otherwise obscuring visual access to the dosing scale.
These and other objects of the present invention are achieved in the preferred embodiments described below by providing a dosing syringe with a barrel defining a chamber therein for retaining fluid and including a dispensing port communicating with the chamber for permitting fluid flow therethrough. The dosing syringe includes a plunger for being matingly received within the chamber. The plunger is axially moveable relative to the barrel for controlling fluid flow through the dispensing port. A dosing indicator is removably carried by the plunger and includes indicia thereon collectively representing a dosing range of the fluid based upon a correlation between the indicia and a therapeutic treatment variable for a preselected group of patients. The indicia cooperate with the plunger and barrel for measuring a medically correct dose of the fluid to be administered to a patient from the group.
According to one preferred embodiment of the invention, the dosing indicator is removably positioned within the plunger for permitting alternative uses of the syringe.
According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the indicia comprise preselected strips of color arranged in a fixed sequence on the dosing indicator.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, each of the indicia is a respective one of a series of chevrons positioned in spaced-apart relation along the length of the dosing indicator.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the indicia are preselected words arranged in a fixed sequence on the dosing indicator.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, each of the words corresponds to a preselected color for permitting a color-blind individual to use the syringe.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, each of the strips of color is overlaid by a respective one of a series of reference marks.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the barrel includes a proximal opening communicating with the chamber for receiving the plunger therein.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the plunger includes a first end for being matingly received within the proximal opening of the barrel, and a second end for manipulating axial movement of the plunger relative to the barrel.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the syringe includes an interior compartment defined by the plunger and adapted for receiving the dosing indicator therein.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the interior compartment is concentrically positioned within the plunger and communicates with a complementary opening defined by and extending through the second end of the plunger.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the interior compartment is an elongate slot.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the slot includes two integrally formed, elongate segments positioned perpendicularly to one another and extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the plunger.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the segments intersect with each other to form an X-shaped cross section extending perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the plunger.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, an alignment indicator is carried by the barrel for being aligned with a preselected one of the indicia on the dosing indicator, thereby permitting the medically correct dose of the fluid to be measured prior to administering the dose to the member of the preselected patient population.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention,the dosing indicator comprises an elongate insert having a shape complementary to a cross-sectional segment of said slot.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the interior compartment includes a plurality of equally-spaced channels defined by and extending along the length of the plunger. Each of the channels is adapted for receiving the dosing indicator therein.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the dosing indicator is an elongate insert.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the insert includes a fold extending parallel to the longitudinal axis thereof for maintaining the insert in a stationary position within a preselected one of the channels.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the insert is a flexible strip for being placed in a bent position within a preselected one of the channels, thereby maintaining the strip in a stationary position with the channel.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the dosing indicator is carried on an exterior sidewall of the plunger for permitting ease of assembly and use of the syringe.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, a dosing syringe is provided that includes a barrel defining a chamber therein for retaining fluid. The barrel has a dispensing port and a proximal opening communicating with the chamber for permitting fluid flow therethrough. A plunger is matingly received within the chamber through the proximal opening and is axially moveable relative to the barrel for controlling fluid flow through the dispensing port. A dosing indicator is removably positioned within a compartment defined by the plunger. The dosing indicator includes indicia thereon collectively representing a preselected series of colors corresponding to a dosing range of the fluid based upon a correlation between the indicia and a therapeutic treatment variable for a preselected group of patients. The indicia cooperate with the plunger and the barrel for measuring a medically correct dose of the fluid to be administered to a patient from the group.
According to a preferred embodiment of a method for practicing the invention, a method of measuring a medically correct dose of fluid for being administered to a patient is provided. The method includes the step of providing a dosing syringe. The syringe includes a barrel defining a chamber therein for retaining fluid. The barrel has a dispensing port and a proximal opening communicating with the chamber for permitting fluid flow therethrough. A plunger is matingly received within the chamber through the proximal opening and is axially moveable relative to the barrel for controlling fluid flow through the dispensing port. A dosing indicator is removably carried by the plunger and includes indicia thereon collectively representing a dosing range of the fluid based upon a correlation between the indicia and a therapeutic treatment variable for a preselected group of patients. The indicia cooperate with the plunger and barrel for measuring a medically correct dose of the fluid to be administered to a patient from the group. A predetermined one of the indicia is assigned to the patient using the therapeutic treatment variable. A container of the fluid is provided, and the dispensing end of the barrel is immersed in the fluid. The plunger is used to withdraw the fluid from the container and into the chamber until the predetermined indicia is aligned with a reference mark on the barrel, thereby indicating the medically correct dose of fluid is in the chamber.